On March 1, 2026, an unmanned surface vehicle struck a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker north of Muscat, Oman, and the crew had to evacuate. Ten days later, on March 11, explosive remote-controlled boats hit two more tankers. Reuters counted six vessels targeted in all, and reports suggest as many as a dozen mines were laid in the region.
The weapon behind the strikes is cheap. Iran is using small skiffs built to look like wooden fishing boats, each between 12 and 30 feet long. Each can carry a large explosive payload, and each can be steered remotely or sent on a pre-programmed course.
Why they are hard to stop
Cameron Chell, CEO of drone technology firm Draganfly, said one operator could control 10 or more of the boats at once. Autonomous versions could run with no operator at all.
The disguise does real work. Wooden hulls and a fishing-boat profile make the skiffs difficult to pick out on radar or satellite surveillance, so they can blend into ordinary traffic. The strait is only 21 miles wide, which lets Iran keep line-of-sight control from shore. Its narrow, shallow waters also give attackers concealed coastal spots and islands to launch from.
Fighter jets and large naval weapons struggle against several small boats at the same time. Stopping 50 or more skiffs would take continuous surveillance, fast-reacting aircraft and heavy naval coordination, which makes the defense very costly.
Oil and insurance
Oil moved sharply toward $100 per barrel after the March attacks. The strait handles roughly 30% of global seaborne oil trade, and there is no practical alternative route for that volume.
Insurance rates for tankers using the strait have risen sharply. Some shipping companies are already rerouting, which adds days and thousands of dollars to each voyage.
The attacks came as the U.S. launched Operation Epic Fury against Iranian military infrastructure on February 28. Analysts read them as retaliation and as an attempt to pressure global energy markets.
Response under discussion
The U.S. Navy is weighing escorts for commercial ships. The UK and European allies are looking at multinational patrols. Security analysts say navies will have to shift attention from big warships toward countering small, explosive, swarm-capable boats.
